Director, Joshua Blewitt brings us chauvinistic, narcissist, movie lover and filmmaker, Chez Florentine (Joe Carmichael), amidst the release of his latest (very controversial) flick, Mean.
Opening on a talking heads/interview is the first entry we are given in a film with subject matter which is clearly an ode to films, filmmaking and the numerous techniques and artistic choices that come with it.
With varied styles, the cinematography ropes you in, keeping you engaged throughout. However, these multiple styles also leave this short struggling from a tonality point of view. Not to say the contrast doesn’t work but the script may have just been a tad heavy for lead, Carmichael, who doesn’t necessarily demonstrate the passion for film that his onscreen counterpart required, convincingly.
As an artist, there is a difference between the stories you want to tell and the stories you’ve been asked to tell.
Mean serves as more than just a title, not only doesn’t it hit on the downsides of the movie industry but it represents 21st-century filmmaking in the age where the internet has a voice and everyone is a critic. Although the ending falls a little flat, the finale does succeed in leaving you with a strong message: As an artist, there is a difference between the stories you want to tell and the stories you’ve been asked to tell.
Jacked In Recommends ‘The King of Staten Island’ (2020)
Judd Apatow’s The King of Staten Island follows the life of local islander, Scott (Pete Davidson), a wannabe […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)
The Iron Giant follows the story of Hogarth, a young boy who befriends a giant robot from outer space. Not knowing […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘Super’ (2010)
Super follows the story of Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson), a luckless fry cook who has literally only had two perfect […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Die Hard’ (1988)
To solve the ongoing debate for whether or not Die Hard is in fact a Christmas movie, Jacked In’s Jack, […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Breadwinner’ (2023)
Set in England, Oscar Bell’s Breadwinner presents an empathetic story during a time when the cost of living […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Oh No, Guano!’ (2023)
Dan McGee’s Oh No, Guano! tells the story of an individual (Christian PK Reeve) trying to reach a job […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Orchid Moon’ (2023)
Orchid Moon follows the life of Harry (Jake Waring), a troubled individual with a burden he must suppress by any […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994’ (2024)
Writer/director, David A. Weiner and Creator Robin Block, the marvellous minds behind – arguably – one […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Nope’ (2022)
Similar to Jordan Peele’s last feature (Us), Nope opens with a subplot – the aftermath of a series of brutal […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘The Whale’ (2022)
After a long hiatus, audiences at Tyneside Cinema welcome the beautiful soul that is Brendan Fraser back to the big […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Mortal Kombat’ (2021)
Video Game movies have a proven track record of not hitting the mark and can often be seen as a double-edged sword […]
Behind The Scenes of John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’
A story of psychological horror and isolation, featuring scares like you’d never seen before with its […]